It is recognized that there is a difficulty in sharpening or re-sharpening blades, such as for example, knife blades, using hand tools and other means generally known to those skilled in the art. In particular, retention of the correct angular position of a blade relative to an abrasive medium (for example, an abrasive stone) or facilitation of repetitive smooth passes of the blade or the abrasive medium represent challenging tasks for a user of average skills.
Various devices have been suggested to overcome problems associated with sharpening of blades using hand-operated tools; however, despite the considerable effort in the art, further improvements would be desirable.